Locard's Gone Awry
by Saphire Ravven8
Summary: Revision of the end of Locard's Exchange. What if Emmett Parker went after Jordan instead of Rene? Would woody be able to save his love and survive the encounter himself? JW. Rated T for language later on.
1. Ch1: Evil in those eyes

A/N: Just a little revision of the Locard's Exchange episode from last sesaon. Now that I've finally figured out what I believe may be the killer-guy's name, Emmett Parker, I can get on with it. So, On with the fic.

A/N 2: pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasseeeeeeeee R/R. It makes me happy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Too bad, if I did i'd make Woody Hoyt my 'friend with benefits" hehehe...

His eyes burned into hers as she strode past him, head high despite her defeat, leaving the court room with foreboding feelings and warnings in her head and heart. He was bad news and the courts had just released him onto the streets. She blew out a held breath as the heavy doors closed behind her, leaning against the nearest wall, defeated despite her lies and half-truths on the stand. And his eyes. So cold. So ruthless. He wasn't going away. Those eyes held promise for a destructive act to come.

A hand on her shoulder brought Jordan back to the world with a jump and a startled gasp. "Jordan?" The edges of Woody's blue eyes creased with concern as he slouched a bit to look into her face. "You okay?" She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, yeah Woody, I'm fine." She smiled falsely. He could see right through it…and through her.

"Uh-huh, s_uu_re." He replied but dropped it, knowing that she'd talk when she wanted to and not a moment before. She was grateful that he had backed off. She didn't want him to know that she was scared of this serial killer, even though she was sure that he could see it in her eyes.

"Hey Jordan," Rene walked up beside her. Jordan met her eyes. "Thank you." She said softly. "I know that wasn't easy for you back there."

"Not like it worked anyways." Jordan snorted derisively. "That psycho walked because WE didn't find enough evidence to keep him locked up."

"We'll find something." Rene tried to sound confident but her voice betrayed her.

"I just hope it doesn't come too late." Jordan pushed off from the wall. "Woody?" He looked at her inquiringly. "Take me home?" He nodded and put an arm around her shoulders. She smiled lightly at this, leaning into his side slightly. Sharp dark eyes watched as the pair exited the court house and a shiver ran down Jordan Cavanaugh's spine.

"You sure you're all right?" Woody asked, brushing a hand almost imperceptively over her arm. "You look kinda freaked out."

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just…" She hesitated, not sure she wanted to share her fears with the man beside her.

"What?" He prompted gently, not wanting to push her but wanting her to let him in, if just a little bit. She paused for a long time, sliding into the passenger's seat of his car. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes as he backed out of the parking spot and headed out into the road.

"His eyes, Woody…" She sighed at last, shaking her head, ashamed of her fears. Woody was surprised at her admission, normally she would've just kept her feelings to herself. "The way he looked at me…I dunno… It just got to me I guess."

"Yeah, I saw. You think he'll try to pull something?" He asked, worry lines creasing his forehead as he took his eyes off the road and glanced at her for just a moment.

"I'm not sure. I just… I have this feeling that something is about to happen. Something bad…and I don't know what to do with that feeling."

"Something bad to you, Jordan?" She shook her head, indicating that she wasn't sure. He pulled up in front of Jordan's place and got out of the car with her. He followed her to the door and up the stairs. She smiled gratefully at him as her hand fell upon her doorknob.

"Thanks. For everything." She said the last bit in a quiet whisper. Woody turned towards the stairs with a small smile.

"Hey Jordan," he turned his head back over his shoulder, blue eyes showing an emotion that she couldn't quite read;. A cross between ever-present protectiveness and deeply hidden love. "Anything happens, hear anything or see anything unusual, you call me."

"You'll come running?" She quirked a grin and laughed a bit. Woody smiled at the sounds.

"Well, probably more like driving and _then_ running, but yeah, pretty much." He grinned and winked at her, dark eyelashes falling against his cheek for a single moment before lifting again. His voice was joking but in his eyes was all the seriousness in the world.

"Yeah, I'm sure driving would be faster." She replied, keeping up their joke.

"Seriously, Jordan, you need me, for any reason, you call me, night or day." His smile was gone, replaced with an honest frown.

"I will," she assured him, surprised to find that she meant it. He turned to walk away again. "I'm scared of him," Jordan called after him softly, promptly slapping her lips shut. She mentally berated herself for letting herself speak those words. He returned to her in an instant, enveloping her in his finely muscled arms. His fingers brushed against her hair, pulling her face into his shoulder, the other hand placed in gentle comfort against her back. She leaned into him, breathing deeply the scent of his cologne. He always smelled so good. She felt safe in his arms.

"I will _always_ protect you." He whispered in her ear. Another shiver of a different sort slid down her spine as his lips brushed against her ear. She leaned back and looked up into his soft eyes, so full of affection.

"You can't be there all the time. You won't always be here to keep me safe."

"I know that. But I can try. And know that I'd die before I let anyone hurt you if I was there."

"I know." She said, smiling as he pressed his lips into her forehead. He released her and stepped away.

"Keep your door locked, don't answer it for anyone unless they announce themselves first, which I'll tell the gang to do if they want to come see you. If you leave, check the corridor before closing the door behind you and after you do, if you see him, run. Run and scream and make a lot of noise. Don't let him get you alone." She pushed a finger to his lips.

"I get it. Be careful. I'm going to go to work after I change and then back home. That's it. I'll be fine."

He nodded and walked down the stairs, worry still in his heart as he left her. He too now felt a silent foreboding. Something was going to happen, he could feel it. And his cop's instinct had never failed him before.

Jordan stepped into her shower, trying to scrub the burning of his eyes from her body. She couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was being watched, which was impossible considering the lack of windows in her bathroom. She didn't know what it was about that man that made her skin crawl and the hairs at the base of her neck stand on end.

The water cascaded over her head and she pushed back dark, wet tendrils of nearly-black hair, closing her eyes and raising her face to the plummeting water. She let it beat its steady rhythm onto her features for a moment before turning her face away, scrubbing the water from her eyes. She washed her hair and body then got out, rubbing down with a towel and walking naked into her adjoining bedroom.

She went to her dresser and pulled out pants and then to her closet for a shirt. Both items she tossed onto her bed before proceeding back to her dresser for her undergarments. Picking out a matching set of blue-green Victoria's Secret bra and panties, she returned to the clothes on her bed. Jordan slipped into her form-fitting jeans and turquoise t-shirt, and then put on her heeled boots. She then went back to the bathroom, brushed out and blow-dried her long hair. She applied a light layer of make-up, barely noticeable in its subtlety and wondered why she was going through such trouble to do so. One word came to mind: Woody. She figured he would be there and she wanted him to look at her, even though he always did. She smiled and went to get her coat.

Jordan went to her front door, unlocked it, and peered around its wooden borders out into the hallway. Her eyes scanned left and right before she reached, locked the door, and ran down the stairs and to her car, the feeling of eyes upon her feeding her haste. She sat, shaking, in her car for several minutes before starting it, fighting through Boston traffic, and eventually arriving at the Morgue.

"Hey Garret." She greeted her boss as usual.

"Jordan," he hailed after even as she tried to make a quick get away. Jordan cringed but stopped and turned towards him, feigning a carefree smile. "How're you doing?" Garret asked, genuinely concerned. "I know watching that creep slip between the legal system's cracks wasn't easy for you."

"Nah, I'm good. We're gonna catch him, Garret. We are. No one that psychotic can stay docile for long. He'll make his move. And I'll be waiting with Woody and a tight pair of handcuffs."

"That's my girl, ever the big mouthed little fighter."

"Damn right. That bastard isn't gonna get away with killing all of those women. No way."

"Good for you, now head to the lab and help Bug and Nigel make good on that threat."

"Yessir," Jordan mock-saluted before spinning and walking military-style out of sight. Garret shook his head, laughing softly. _Jordan, Jordan, Jordan, what am I going to do with you?_ He thought, amused.

"Nigel," Jordan called after the tall Brit. Nigel turned and grinned.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite coroner."

"How goes the investigation?"

"Unfortunately, love, it's a no go. We've been utterly unable to find anything on the victim's clothing or anywhere else. I'm afraid we've reached a dead end."

"He's right." Bug agreed as he came up behind them. "We have absolutely nothing on this bastard."

"Somewhere in here there is something of him. There can't not be. It's Locard's Exchange, you know?" Nigel stated matter-of-factly.

"Hmm," Jordan pondered this for a moment. "Maybe we've been going about this backwards. Locard does work both ways."

"So it does," he agreed, "but we can't run tests on what we don't have. And what probably no longer exists."

"We haven't found traces of Parker on the victims' stuff, but who's to say we won't find traces of them on his stuff." Jordan concluded.

"I'll call Ms. District Attorney Walcott and have Parker's personal effects brought here immediately." Nigel smiled at the prospect of a breakthrough.

"Finally, some good." Jordan sighed. "I'll be in my office, come get me if you guys find anything, please."

"Of course," Bug nodded and disappeared into the lab. Jordan continued down the hall toward her office.

"Jordan!" Woody jogged down the hallway towards her. He caught her arm as he reached her and forced her to meet his eyes. "You okay?"

"How many people are going to ask me that before they get that I'm fine? A little bit nervous, a whole lot of angry, but fine." She snapped, instantly regretting her tone at the hurt look in his eyes. His hand instantly dropped from her arm as he recoiled. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. He's just concerned for you, don't take his head off. Chill. _She reprimanded herself. She reached for him apologetically. "Woody, I-," He took her outstretched hand.

"I know. It's okay. Everyone's nerves are a little bit frayed right now; you have every right to be snappy."

"No, I don't. Nerves are no excuse for bitchiness. You're just worried; I shouldn't have taken your head off. I'm sorry." Her eyes softened with his as they met and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"It's alright, really. My ego's a little bruised…" He grinned and she laughed gently, letting him lead her to her office. "But I'll live." He finished as the glass door closed behind them.

"Oh good, I'm glad." She replied softly. "I really am sorry, Woody. I guess I'm more tense than I thought over all this."

"Perfectly understandable. I saw the way he looked at you, Jordan. He's gonna try to pull something."

"Yeah, like he said, I've got evil in my eyes, apparently, just like his other victims."

"Evil in your eyes?" She nodded. He grinned "I can see that."

"Can you?" She smiled coyly and took a step toward him. He pulled her into his arms and lowered his lips onto hers, kissing her gently. When he pulled away, she leaned her forehead on his shoulder and sighed. He stroked her hair and back soothingly.

"You're shaking," he commented. It wasn't a conviction, just a statement of fact. She sighed again.

"My nerves are frayed." He kissed her forehead and rubbed her arms. "But I feel safe with you, Woody." He was silent for a moment, not sure he'd heard her right. Had THE Jordan Cavanaugh, queen of secrecy and detachment, just said what he'd thought she said?

"You have no idea what it means to hear you say that, Jordan." He said at last. She smiled.

"Look, Woody," she pulled away so he could see her face. "I know I'm not very good at that whole "hey, here's my heart, come on in" thing. I just…I want you to know… I mean, if anything happens to me…"

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Jordan."

"Let me finish." She replied. "In case this guy gets to me… should the 'evil in my eyes' do me in…" she chuckled wryly. "I want you to know… that you're in it." He quirked a confused eyebrow. "My heart. You're in my heart, Woody. You always have been, always will be."

"Wow," he looked entirely taken-aback. "Maybe you should be put in peril more often, at least then you're honest." He smiled, and she nodded in agreement.

"Definitely true," she grinned.

"But let's not test the peril equals emotional admittance theory, shall we? I think I like you better alive." She laughed.

"Me too, Woody." Her eyes flickered around the room. The feeling of eyes was back on her. "Me too."

"Jordan, we may have found something on our boy," Nigel stated as he poked his head around the door. Jordan grinned at him.

"You always come through for me Nige," She said as she and Woody dashed after him. "What've you got for me?" Jordan asked the second they walked into the lab.

"Possible match of a dark hair to one of the victims, found it on Parker's watch."

"Nice! Good going guys," Woody slapped Nigel's back gratefully.

"I'll call Rene." Jordan grinned gleefully, it was almost over. The looking over her shoulder, the eyes following her. She dug into her pocket for her cell phone but found it missing. "Damn, I left my cell in the car. I'll be right back." Before Woody could offer to go with her, she was gone, jumping through the door of the elevator just as it was closing.

_Relax, Woody, you've got cops watching Parker like a hawk. She's just going to her car, she'll be fine._ But something gnawed at the pit of his stomach. Fear. Something was wrong. Suddenly, his cell rang. "Hoyt." He was silent, eyes growing wider and wider. "You LOST Parker?" he exclaimed, rage and overwhelming horror boiling up within him. A killer on the loose. It was every cop's worst nightmare. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU _LOST PARKER!"_

_DUM DUM DUM! TO BE CONTINUED!_

_REVIEW PLEASE! _


	2. Ch2: Holdin' out for a Hero

A/N: Chapter 2 is up. This story may only have three chapters. Sorry. Oh well, at least you'll know I actually DO finish my fanfiction once in awhile, even if my update progress on previous fics say otherwise… ENJOY CHAPTER TWO! THANK YOU SSOOOOOOO MUCH TO THOSE OF YOU THAT REVIEWED! You're AMAZING!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing.

...tra la la...just a look at the end of the last chapter...

"Possible match of a dark hair to one of the victims, found it on Parker's watch."

"Nice! Good going guys," Woody slapped Nigel's back gratefully.

"I'll call Rene." Jordan grinned gleefully, it was almost over. The looking over her shoulder, the eyes following her. She dug into her pocket for her cell phone but found it missing. "Damn, I left my cell in the car. I'll be right back." Before Woody could offer to go with her, she was gone, jumping through the door of the elevator just as it was closing.

_Relax, Woody, you've got cops watching Parker like a hawk. She's just going to her car, she'll be fine._ But something gnawed at the pit of his stomach. Fear. Something was wrong. Suddenly, his cell rang. "Hoyt." He was silent, eyes growing wider and wider. "You LOST Parker?" he exclaimed, rage and overwhelming horror boiling up within him. A killer on the loose. It was every cop's worst nightmare. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU _LOST PARKER!"_

_...aaaaannnddd...O n with Chapter 2...  
_

Nigel and Bug exchanged nervous glances. "Where? A BLOCK from here? Jesus Christ." He watched as Nigel's eyes shot to the elevator. "Oh my God, Jordan!" His eyes grew panicked. He threw himself out of the lab, decided to screw the damn elevator and dashed down the several flights of stairs to the parking lot, Bug and Nigel on his heels.

Woody Hoyt's eyes flew around the desolate parking lot, searching for Jordan's car. "There!" He shouted, running towards the vehicle. "Jordan! Jordan?" He called as he came upon the car, door ajar and no pretty female coroner to be found. "Oh God," he knelt down and picked up her cell phone, face plate cracked and a spot of deep crimson on the screen.

"Woody," Nigel's voice was soft and shocked. Woody's insides twisted into a tight knot as he stood, following Nigel's shaking finger to the windshield of her car. There, written in blood, was a message.

"She's waiting for her Hero." Woody stared, silent as the impact of those words slapped him across the face. He had been watching, listening, lying in wait until she was alone before he made his move. She had been left vulnerable when she'd come to the parking lot by herself. He should never have let her leave the morgue with no one to watch her back.

"Oh my God," he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. He covered his eyes with his hands, rubbing them while he gathered his thoughts and emotions quickly before running to his car.

"Woody!" Nigel chased after him. "I'm coming with you!" He leaped into the passenger's seat.

"Bug! Call the station, tell 'em to send as many uniforms as they can to Jordan's apartment, ASAP! Oh! And test that blood, if it's hers, I wanna know, so I can kill the bastard who spilled it!" Woody called out his window as he reversed out of his parking spot. Bug assured him that he would and, quickly taking a sample of the blood, ran back inside for a phone. Woody's police car shot out of the lot like hell on wheels and sped toward Jordan Cavanaugh's apartment, lights and sirens blaring.

"Has he, he wouldn't…would he…" Nigel tried to ask, but couldn't get his words out around his worry.

"I don't know." Woody replied lowly, flooring the accelerator, eyes glaring at the road ahead. He tore down main roads and side streets, blasting around the people who moved out of his way too slowly, squealing the tires in the process.

Nigel gripped the door handle and the arm rest tightly, wincing every time they took a turn and nearly two-wheeled it around the bend. "Woody!" he exclaimed. "I know we have to save Jordan, but that may be kind of hard it we're _DEAD_!"

The two men glared at each other for a second before Woody turned his head back toward the road. He said nothing, but slowed down a bit and took his corners a bit more carefully. Nigel took a deep breath and unclenched his white-knuckled fingers.

"Sorry." Woody said softly, pursing his lips in the way that he had when he was scared or worried. Emotions without words. It was his forte. Nigel reached over and patted his arm gently.

"She'll be alright, Woody. She will. Jordan's the toughest woman I've ever known. She'll be okay."

There was a long pause before Woody's brilliant blue eyes flickered briefly over to Nigel and he said, "Who're you trying to convince? Me…or yourself?" There followed another stretch of silence.

"I'm not exactly sure yet." The British coroner admitted in a whisper. They endured the rest of the seemingly eternity-long ride in silence, both men afraid of what they would find when they reached the pretty brunette's apartment.

"Here we are…" Nigel breathed as they slid up, silent, in front of the building, having cut the lights and sounds blocks away. Woody took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Here we are," he echoed, looking a bit spaced for a second before turning all business. "Look, you stay behind me, Nigel, if I tell you to get out, you get gone. I'm not risking your life in there too. You do as I say from here on in. Clear?"

"Crystal, cop-man. Now can we get out asses in there before Jordan gets dead?"

"Good plan." Woody shoved out of the car and, with Nigel close behind, they crept up the stairs to Jordan's apartment door. When they reached the entry way, the cop raised his hand, signaling for Nigel to stop. For inside the small apartment he could hear a gravelly, cold voice talking and a gurgly-coughing noise. '_Jordan'_ Woody cried out for her in his mind. She was hurt. He could tell by the way her coughs sounded. Parker was a dead man.

Woody turned to Nigel and handed him his phone. "Call for back up and an ambulance. Don't come in here unless I give you a sign that it's safe. I'd like to keep you alive too and this guy's dangerous."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Nigel hissed and Woody glared at him then inched towards the door. "Woody!" Nigel called quietly after him. "Be careful. Bring Jordan back to us." Woody smiled a bit, nervousness tingeing the expression, before he turned solemnly back to the task at hand.

His hand gently pushed the door open and he inched cautiously into the small apartment. At first, all was quiet, making Woody even more nervous. Quiet was never good, especially where Jordan Cavanaugh was concerned. The lack of snippy and sarcastic commentary made was frightening.

As he crept further into the dark apartment, a table lamp in the living room cast an eerie shadow on the scene that began to play out before him. Parker was crouched over Jordan, fingers of one hand around her throat, the other flicking the shining silver blade of a kitchen knife over her skin, making thin trails of blood trickle down her arms and chest. The gurgling coughs were caused by his thin, white knuckled fingers tightening around her slender neck, cutting into her wind pipe. A deep knife wound on her hip was staining her carpet a deep crimson. Woody cringed when his eyes fell upon the gaping wound. She would bleed out if he didn't help her soon.

"There's no one to save you, Jordan. No one. Just think, the last face you see before you die, slow and painful, is going to me mine."

"Fuck You." Jordan gurgled and flung a mix of blood and spit into his face. Parker flinched visibly, cold eyes growing dark with anger as he dropped the knife and back handed her, splitting her cheek open with one of his rings. Woody chose that moment, when his anger was taking over and the knife was on the floor and Jordan was gasping for air and bleeding and he knew that Parker was of-guard, to pounce.

He cocked his gun and shoved the barrel into the base of Parker's neck, speaking as he did so. "Wrong, Parker. I'm here to save her and your ugly face is one she'll never have to see again."

"Ah, so the hero has at last arrived." Parker's voice was a cold as steel. "Too bad it's too late." He shifted his body to left and Jordan was lying there, lips tinged blue, not moving.

"Jordan!" Woody cried out, anguished. He couldn't be too late! He CAN'T have been too late! "You son of a bitch!" Woody slammed the barrel of the hand gun into Parker's temple and watched him roll slowly sideways and topple off of Jordan, seemingly unconscious. "Jordan! JORDAN!" The cop knelt beside the pretty ME. "Jordan, come on, stay with me! NIGE! GET IN HERE!"

The British coroner dashed into the room and stopped dead at the sight of one of his best friends, one who had always been so strong and lively, lying prone upon the floor. "Nigel! Help me!" Woody yelled, frantic. "Her heart's still beating. Hold pressure to the wound in her side while I start rescue breathing! NOW Nigel!" Nigel came snapping out of his stupor and dashed to his friend's side, kneeling down beside her and placing his hands firmly over her wound. He watched in silent horror as Woody clamped his lips over hers and forced air into her lungs.

"Come on, Jordan, come on." Nigel chanted under his breath. "You're too strong to let this take you. Come one, Jordan, breathe."

"Yeah, Jordan, do as he says, breathe, dammit." Woody said, tears taking form as a lump in his throat and he breathed into her. The sound of sirens brought a sigh to Woody's lips and Nigel's back relaxed a bit. Help was coming. Bug and Garret and Lily were coming. "Come on, Jord. Come on baby, breathe for me." Woody pleaded, pressing his lips against hers again.

Two more tries, three, nothing. The sirens grew closer. The tears grew closer, threatening to form at the brink of his eyes and spill over. He was losing her. How long could a brain go without oxygen? Maybe it hadn't been too long, but to him it felt like an eternity. 'Please, Jordan, I can't be without you.' He pleaded silently. Four, five, six breaths and he was losing hope.

Then on the eighth, a miracle. As the air from his lungs was forced into hers, a loud, wheezing gasp took the place of the silence and she was alive, gasping for air, hacking loudly, trying to suck all the air from the room into her deprived, hungry lungs.

She felt like she had been drowning, panic flared within her. She knew what had happened and she felt arms around her and panicked, writhing and tossing, despite how the hard, painful coughs and gasps still wracked her shaking form. And then the eyes were above her. Red rimmed, flooded, clear and crystal blue, hovering over her. She suddenly knew the strong arms that were holding her still and protecting her, warming her. Woody. She gasped out his name, it sounded like a pitiful croak, but it was enough. A tear leaked from its precarious perch and slid down his cheek and he cuddled her gently into his chest, kissing her forehead and she could feel his fingers in her hair, holding her head.

"I thought I'd lost you," his broken whisper brought tears to her eyes. But she didn't have a chance to respond, even as the fuzziness hovering in her brain diminished into a thin fog and she was just managing to catch her breath, Nigel's voice cried out a warning.

"WOODY!" The Brit's normally level voice called as Parker rose up off the ground, glittering blade in hand. They had forgotten about him in their concern for keeping Jordan alive and he had taken advantage of their distraction and obtained his weapon once more. Woody's head whipped around even as he gently laid Jordan back on the ground. He cried out and a splash of crimson followed the jagged cut across his cheek.

Woody Hoyt clapped a hand to his face to staunch the bleeding as he kicked at Parker, buying him a few seconds. "Nigel! Get her outta here!" He shouted the order, and then turned quickly back to his deadly adversary, noting the movement of Nigel and Jordan in the corner of his eyes. _Good man, Nige, ._Woody thought. Nigel would keep Jordan safe for him.

Like a lion caged, Parker stood in a half-crouch, ready to pounce if given the opening, knife sparkling grimly in his hand, a hint of blood, both Jordan's and Woody's upon the blade. "You're a dead man, Parker. You might've gotten away with the murders if you hadn't come after Jordan. But now? Now you're a dead man."

"You think you're going to kill me Detective Hoyt? Please. I am smarter, stronger, faster, more calculating. You won't leave this room alive if you try to face me on your own." Parker's cold laugh chilled Woody to the bones but he didn't show it.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? It ends here, Parker. You won't get away with this."

"With what? Nearly killing your precious Dr. Cavanaugh? I may not get away with it. But you know what, Detective Hoyt? It was _fun_ to watch her last breath and feel her life slip through my fingers. It was _fun_." He cackled. Woody's calm-face snapped and he leapt at Parker, unable to take that cocky smile for one more second. He wanted to wrench the expression from his face and burn him alive. _Nobody _hurt Jordan and got away with it.

The two men grappled on the floor, fighting for control of the knife. Each man got his chance at the upper hand. First Parker, then Woody, then Parker again. The older man managed to force his weight on top of Woody and had him pinned to the floor with his knees. Woody's hands were wrapped tightly around Parker's on the handle of the knife, trying to stop him from bringing it plunging down into his chest. "Stop fighting, _Woodrough, _it won't save you. It hasn't saved any of _them_."

"No, but I have," Woody snarled in his face and slammed his forehead into Parker's knocking him over on his back. "I've stopped you. You've failed."

"I've never failed." Parker hissed. "You are my target now." From his position on the floor, Parker flung the silver, shining blade at Woody. Caught off guard, and distracted by the kicking in of the door by his very late backup, the cop didn't have a chance to dodge the weapon as it embedded itself in his chest, close to his shoulder. Blood spouted out around the blade in his chest, flowing freely down his chest, soaking his shirt a deep, dark crimson.

_TO BE CONTINUED!_

_READ AND REVIEW PLEAAAASEEE!_


	3. Ch3: Tears Fall

A/N: Hi Everyone! I am SO sorry this update has taken so long! Sometimes life gets gets distracting. Prom, graduation, that whole having-a-job-thing. Anyways, sorry again, thank you to EVERYONE who have been Super-Amazing and reviewed this story and are still reading! I Love you all! I hope this chapter was worth the wait, though I even doubt it, as I seem to have developed a rather pesky case of writer's block. I hate it when this happens. Well, review and let me know.

Ch.3- Tears Fall.

The two men grappled on the floor, fighting for control of the knife. Each man got his chance at the upper hand. First Parker, then Woody, then Parker again. The older man managed to force his weight on top of Woody and had him pinned to the floor with his knees. Woody's hands were wrapped tightly around Parker's on the handle of the knife, trying to stop him from bringing it plunging down into his chest. "Stop fighting, _Woodrow, _it won't save you. It hasn't saved any of _them_."

"No, but I have," Woody snarled in his face and slammed his forehead into Parker's knocking him over on his back. "I've stopped you. You've failed."

"I've never failed." Parker hissed. "You are my target now." From his position on the floor, Parker flung the silver, shining blade at Woody. Caught off guard, and distracted by the kicking in of the door by his very late backup, the cop didn't have a chance to dodge the weapon as it embedded itself in his chest, close to his shoulder. Blood spouted out around the blade in his chest, flowing freely down his chest, soaking his shirt a deep, dark crimson.

Gasping at the pain that knocked the air from his lungs, Woody stumbled back and collapsed onto the floor, one hand clutching at the handle of the knife. Gun fire sounded and he knew that Parker was dead without having to see the body. He couldn't see the body. Everything was fading and blurring. He heard her scream his name and understood that those were her arms cradling him, but he couldn't feel her skin on his, couldn't feel the warmth, could barely see her face as it slid in and out of focus. "J-Jordan," the sound slipped from his lips in barely a whisper. He frowned, annoyed that he couldn't say it louder, could barely breathe, couldn't see her face through the darkness.

"Shh, Woody, it's okay. You're okay. I'm right here." She whispered next to his ear. "You hold on, you hear me? Don't you die on me. I won't let you. I…I love you, Woody." She admitted and he couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine. He knew what it must've taken for her to say those words.

'_Christ, I must be dying. It must be bad. Why can't I feel my hands anymore? Why is it so damn cold? Christ. I don't wanna die here. She finally said it. She finally said it and I'm gonna die. What the hell kinda justice is that, huh, God? What? This isn't fair! I can't die here. I love her.'_

"J-Jord-," He gasped out. He reached out a shaking hand and touched her cheek. She clasped his hand and held it to her face, kissing the calloused flesh. "I-l-love, yo-," his voice trailed off and his hand went limp as he lost consciousness, surrendering to the darkness that consumed his mind.

"Woody! Woody!" Jordan cried, panicked. "Where the FUCK are those paramedics? Get them up here RIGHT NOW!"

The waiting room reeked of disinfectant, filling Jordan's nose and making her stomach churn more than it already was. Nigel's arm around her did little to comfort the ME's worries as the thoughts and fears spread through her mind like wildfire, eating at her soul, at her heart. She had let Woody in; she had let him get too close. And now he was hurt and her heart was breaking and she knew…she _knew_ she shouldn't have let him in. "_I only get hurt…"_ She thought to herself, wrapping her arms around herself, rubbing the goose bumps on her arms.

"Here," Garrett placed his suit jacket around her shoulders and squeezed them lightly. She looked up him gratefully but when she opened her mouth to thank him, her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Her throat was raw from the tears she held back, burying them deep inside of herself, unwilling or perhaps unable, to let them fall. There was that mental emotional block again. The wall she'd built up long ago that had screwed her love life over so many times before. But Woody, he had stuck with her. He'd been patient with her; he'd given her space when she needed it. He had given her room to breathe but she had always known that he would be there for her. But perhaps not anymore.

"Jordan!" Lily came running in and practically tackled Jordan into the back of her chair, hugging her tightly. "How're you holding up?" She looked straight into Jordan's eyes, concern clearly evident. Jordan offered her a slight half-smile and a shrug. "Oh, honey," Lily cooed and hugged her again, smiling when Jordan leaned her face into her shoulder.

"I'm going to go see if the nurses have heard anything yet." Garrett explained as he stepped away from them. Woody had been in surgery for three hours now, fixing internal damage near his heart.

"I'll join; need to stretch m'legs a bit. Lil', you'll stay with Jordan?" Lily nodded at Nigel's question as he nudged Bug and the two men followed after Garrett.

"No news?" Lily asked Jordan, rubbing her back in slow, gentle circles. Jordan shook her head, lips and chin quivering as she fought harder to hold back her tears. "You can cry with me Jordan. I won't tell." She promised and Jordan looked up at her, eyes filling.

"I don't know what I'll do without him." She admitted before letting the first droplet slide down her cheek, the rest followed soon after and she found that she was unable to stop, no matter how hard she tried. Lily held on to her and rubbed her back and hugged her and let her cry, waving away the guys when they came back into view. Nigel nudged the others, made a 'coffee' mime and shoved them in the opposite direction after a grateful smile from Lily.

"You won't have to be without him Jordan." Lily said comfortingly, hoping she wouldn't have a liar made of her.

"Lily?" Jordan rubbed her eyes and got control of herself. Lily looked at her questioningly. "What the hell is taking so long in there? It's been hours. Aren't they done yet?"

"I don't know, Jord. Depends on how bad the damage was once they got in there."

"That's true, love," Nigel concurred as he come up behind her and rubbed her shoulders. "How's that leg of yours?"

"Other than the pain and the thirty-eight stitches tugging on my flesh? Just great." She replied with a smirk. Nigel gave her a look and sat down beside her, beckoning Bug and Garret on as they made their way over with five coffees in hand, Bug balancing three of them precariously.

"Didn't they give you anything for the pain?" Garret asked, handing her a cup and the other to Lily before snatching the top one from Bug's pile before it fell and taking a sip.

"A whole lotta Morphine. But the gaping stab wound protests trying to be silenced by petty pain killers, apparently. See, boys and girls, this is why we shouldn't play with knives."

"Glad to see you've regained your waspish sense of humor." Nigel said.

"I haven't. I'm masking. But let's not go there. Sarcastic-Jordan is holding together Much better than Emotional-Jordan." She looked up as she saw some movement out of the corner of her eye. "Doctor." Everyone's heads snapped around at the word. Bug helped Jordan to her feet as she struggled with the pair of crutches she was given.

"You're the party with Detective Hoyt, correct?" The white-coated young woman asked them. After a collective nod and a short silence, she finally figured out that they were waiting for her to say something. "Well, the knife entered his chest about and inch below the collar bone. Luckily for him, it was also several _more_ inches from his heart. There was some minor internal bleeding, but the patching we did in surgery seems to be holding well."

"So, he's going to be okay?" Jordan asked breathlessly, heart pounding in her chest and ears, making it hard to hear the doctor's response around the pounding.

"He's in recovery now."

"That's _not_ what I asked you."

"Yes, I think, in my professional opinion, he'll be alright, with time. It'll be a long road of recovery. He'll need a lot of help at first, as well as support. It'll take a while before he gets full mobility back in that side of his chest and shoulder. It'll hurt. But he'll live."

"Thank you." Jordan said coldly. She hated it when people tried beating around the bush when it came to important matters such as this. And the doctor had pissed her off. "Can we go see him now?"

"Sure. He's down that hall, second door on the left. But he's still unconscious," She replied, pointing towards the hallway she had come down.

"That's okay. Thanks." Jordan waited until the doctor had walked away before relaxing and letting a solitary tear slide down her face amid the exhales of relief around her. "Help me." She said to Garret, taking him aback. Jordan Cavanaugh did not often ask for help from anyone. The fact that she was asking for it now meant that she desperately wanted to get into that hospital room.

Garret nodded and extended a hand, supporting her weight as she hoisted herself unsteadily to her feet, biting her tongue to silence the small hiss of pain as she put too much weight on her injured side. She leaned heavily on him but he held her up and helped her down the hallway to the half-open door to Woody's room.

Jordan stopped dead, not breathing for a long minute. Garret looked at her questioningly. "You want us to give you a minute?" Jordan looked back at him gratefully and took another minute to collect herself, inhaled deeply, nodded, then stepped into the foreboding half-light of the hospital room.

TO BE CONTINUED...

R/R PLEAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEE! Thank you!


	4. Ch4: Here Comes the Sun

A/N: Hello to all of you still reading, and thank you so much for sticking with me. If it helps at all, I'm updating this faster than I am any of my other fics. This update, however short, took only about a month, whereas I haven't posted for Lover's Betrayal in like, a year...wow, that sounds alot worse when it's written down. Hmm...I should work on that. :shrug: Oh well, what's done is done. Enjoy the Chapter and PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAASE! Review! Thank you!

Chapter 4: Here Comes the Sun Little Darlin'

Jordan stopped dead, not breathing for a long minute. Garret looked at her questioningly. "You want us to give you a minute?" Jordan looked back at him gratefully and took another minute to collect herself, inhaled deeply, nodded, then stepped into the foreboding half-light of the hospital room.

And there he was, just lying there. His face was pale and she could see the starts of several bruises from his fight with Parker rising on his face and arms. The gash in his cheek has obviously been stitched up and was covered with a piece of gauze that seemed to take up half his face, only adding to his lack of color. A thin tube slid out of the back of his hand like a snake half buried in the sand and coiled upward into a bag filled with clear liquid. _Pain Killer_, she thought, with a slight twinge at her heart. Pain that she had once again caused him. How was it that he always seemed to be getting hurt for her? Maybe trouble really did follow her around like a shadow…

"Hey there," she managed to force out, shaking those thoughts from her head for right now. She wouldn't scare herself away from him again. He didn't deserve that, not after everything he'd done for her. Plus, she'd already opened her big mouth and told him she loved him. She was stuck, and oddly, she was okay with that. She was tired of being alone based on her own stupid self-sabotage.

Slowly, she made her way to his side, taking a seat on the stiff-cushioned hospital chair that always seemed to be conveniently placed by a patients' bedside. She ran her fingers through her hair, then rubbed her tired, bloodshot eyes, cringing at the puffiness she felt under them. See, that, right there, was why she hated crying. Everyone always looked like complete shit after they cried. She was fairly certain that she looked like a total mess right now. She sighed, _focus, Jordan, you're not in this room to reflect on the crappyness of crying. Focus._

"Okay," she inhaled deeply, then released it slowly, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Okay…" She repeated, rubbing the back of her neck nervously then dropping her hand on top of Woody's. "Sure got myself in a mess this time, huh?" She snorted out a laugh, shaking her head. "And once again, the great Detective Woodrow Hoyt was there to save my ass." She squeezed his hand gently and rubbed her thumb over the smooth skin on the back of his hand. "You're always there, aren't you? Always so willing to throw yourself in front of a bullet, or in this case, a knife, for me. And I can't for the life of me figure out why. After all the crap I've put you through; after throwing you out half a million lines only to yank them away just when you get close enough. I'm always leading you on and then letting you down. Why would you still sacrifice yourself for me? I don't deserve it. I definitely don't deserve you. You're too _good._ And honest. And caring. You're like, superhuman or something…But I guess that's a prerequisite for a hero, right? You know that's what you are to me, don't you? My hero? God, I hope you do, because you should. You're like that knight in shining armor that I always dreamed about but never thought I'd have."

Jordan took a deep, shaky breath and raised her hand to his face, stroking his cheek and hair gently. She lifted his hand and pressed her lips to the warm flesh then laid the back of his hand against her cheek. "I love you, Woody, and damn it if I'm not _terrified_ of what that means… It's putting myself out there. I'm layin' my heart out on the train tracks for you here, Woody. And I'm scared." She buried her face in her hands, tugging at the roots of her hair gently, frustrated with herself for feeling so lost right now. But she knew that if he'd just wake up and she could look into his gorgeous blue eyes that she would be found again. He always seemed to find her. "I'm scared of being in so deep and getting everything yanked away again. I'm scared of not knowing where this'll go or how it'll end up. But most of all, right now, I'm petrified of losing you to that _bastard_. _Why_ did you jump Parker for me? _Why?"_

"B-because, I- I love you, s-stupid." Woody's rough voice startled her and her eyes snapped up to his face.

"Woody!" She smiled and squeezed his hand hard, afraid to throw her arms around him in case she hurt him. "I thought I'd lost you this time. Babe, you have _got_ to stop getting shot and stabbed. It makes a girl worry, you know."

"Sorry," he winced and coughed. She sat down beside him on the edge of the bed and put her hand on his face.

"Stop talking you dope, you're not supposed to hurt yourself more. Just rest," she added as she saw him blinking sluggishly. "Know that I love you, so much. And I'll be here when you wake up later. I'm not runnin' this time. I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"You'd better." She smiled at him and leaned forward to kiss his forehead gently. "The others are here too. We'll be waiting for you to wake up. Okay?" Woody nodded once then fell asleep again. Jordan kissed his forehead again then got up and limped to the door, struggling with the jabs of pain in her hip. She opened the door and smiled at her friends. "He's gonna be okay."

TO BE CONTINUED...

PLEASE R/R!


	5. Ch5: Red Roses

Alright, so, since I'm pretty sure everyone had given up on actually getting the end of this fanfic, i figured i'd shock the crap out of some people and give it to them anyways. So, the first few paragraphs are just the last few of the last chapter, to remind people of what the hell is going on. And yay, I'm done, so i can stop feeling bad about taking ridiculous amounts of ages to update my stuff... hehe. Aaaanyways, to whoever is still reading, i thank you from the bottom of my heart and if you'd review, i'd love you even more. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME!!! 333!!!

Chapter 5: Red roses.

Slowly, she made her way to his side, taking a seat on the stiff-cushioned hospital chair that always seemed to be conveniently placed by a patients' bedside. She ran her fingers through her hair, then rubbed her tired, bloodshot eyes, cringing at the puffiness she felt under them. See, that, right there, was why she hated crying. Everyone always looked like complete shit after they cried. She was fairly certain that she looked like a total mess right now. She sighed, _focus, Jordan, you're not in this room to reflect on the crappyness of crying. Focus._

"Okay," she inhaled deeply, then released it slowly, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Okay…" She repeated, rubbing the back of her neck nervously then dropping her hand on top of Woody's. "Sure got myself in a mess this time, huh?" She snorted out a laugh, shaking her head. "And once again, the great Detective Woodrow Hoyt was there to save my ass." She squeezed his hand gently and rubbed her thumb over the smooth skin on the back of his hand. "You're always there, aren't you? Always so willing to throw yourself in front of a bullet, or in this case, a knife, for me. And I can't for the life of me figure out why. After all the crap I've put you through; after throwing you out half a million lines only to yank them away just when you get close enough. I'm always leading you on and then letting you down. Why would you still sacrifice yourself for me? I don't deserve it. I definitely don't deserve you. You're too _good._ And honest. And caring. You're like, superhuman or something…But I guess that's a prerequisite for a hero, right? You know that's what you are to me, don't you? My hero? God, I hope you do, because you should. You're like that knight in shining armor that I always dreamed about but never thought I'd have."

Jordan took a deep, shaky breath and raised her hand to his face, stroking his cheek and hair gently. She lifted his hand and pressed her lips to the warm flesh then laid the back of his hand against her cheek. "I love you, Woody, and damn it if I'm not _terrified_ of what that means… It's putting myself out there. I'm layin' my heart out on the train tracks for you here, Woody. And I'm scared." She buried her face in her hands, tugging at the roots of her hair gently, frustrated with herself for feeling so lost right now. But she knew that if he'd just wake up and she could look into his gorgeous blue eyes that she would be found again. He always seemed to find her. "I'm scared of being in so deep and getting everything yanked away again. I'm scared of not knowing where this'll go or how it'll end up. But most of all, right now, I'm petrified of losing you to that _bastard_. _Why_ did you jump Parker for me? _Why?"_

"B-because, I- I love you, s-stupid." Woody's rough voice startled her and her eyes snapped up to his face.

"Woody!" She smiled and squeezed his hand hard, afraid to throw her arms around him in case she hurt him. "I thought I'd lost you this time. Babe, you have _got_ to stop getting shot and stabbed. It makes a girl worry, you know."

"Sorry," he winced and coughed. She sat down beside him on the edge of the bed and put her hand on his face.

"Stop talking you dope, you're not supposed to hurt yourself more. Just rest," she added as she saw him blinking sluggishly. "Know that I love you, so much. And I'll be here when you wake up later. I'm not runnin' this time. I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"You'd better." She smiled at him and leaned forward to kiss his forehead gently. "The others are here too. We'll be waiting for you to wake up. Okay?" Woody nodded once then fell asleep again. Jordan kissed his forehead again then got up and limped to the door, struggling with the jabs of pain in her hip. She opened the door and smiled at her friends. "He's gonna be okay."

……………

About a month after the incident with Parker, Woody was released from the hospital on the condition that he wasn't living alone. Jordan, seeing how devastated he was at the terms of agreement, as he lived on his own, promptly offered to play nurse and keeper. Woody grinned at her and made some silly comment about how she'd look hot in one of those nurse costumes. Jordan smirked and slapped his arm. Woody smiled at her softly and snatched her hand up in his, intertwining their fingers and kissing her knuckles gently.

"Awwww," came the chorus of voices from Lily, Garrett, Bug, and Nigel. They smiled at the pair even after Jordan picked up a cup from Woody's night table and chucked it at Nigel's head.

"Oy, it wasn't just me, throw somethin' at then too, eh love?" Nigel defended, throwing back the paper cup back at her.

"Alright!" Jordan smirked again, threw the cup at Garret, a spare pen at Bug, and Frisbee-tossed a plate at Lily. "Happy?" She quirked an eyebrow at Nigel, who was in a fit of hysterics.

"Very." Nigel looked around, smiling warmly at the people around him, the people he loved so much. Like family. His family. His beautiful, bipolar, goofy, moody, mixed up little family. He wouldn't trade them for all the girls, booze, and cash in the world…

…….

Six weeks and several hospital visits later found Jordan limping steadily up the stairs to the apartment, grocery bag in hand. She shuffled down the hall and fumbled for her keys, fitting the little gold one into the lock and turning the lock. She stepped into the entryway and inhaled deeply, smelling the vanilla candles and roses before she saw them. She smiled slowly and closed the door behind her, walking quietly down the hallway and dropping her bags on the table in the kitchen.

"Woody?" She called, already figuring he'd be in the living room, as he was still supposed to be taking it easy after his fight with the knife.

"In here, babe," he yelled back. Yup, just as she suspected, sitting in the living room, most likely watching baseball or something silly like that, using the roses and candles as a ploy so she wouldn't get mad about the sports he'd been watching all day and the dishes that were-wait…the dishes weren't in the sink anymore. He'd done the dishes? Jordan blinked a few times at the empty sink, piled high with greasy, week-old plates and things just this morning. Wow. He'd done the dishes.

"You did dishes?" She called down the hall again. "_You?!"_

"Yeah, keep lookin'." He called back smugly. Jordan blinked again, taken-aback. What else could he possibly have done? She looked slowly around the kitchen and dining room area, slowly noticing the facts that the rugs had been vacuumed, the floors swept, the table and counters cleaned off and wiped down, and the trash had been emptied. On top of that, a fresh batch of a dozen white and red roses sat on the table.

"Woody!" She exclaimed, shocked. "How did you do all of this?! You know you're supposed to be careful!" She hurried down the hall, curious as to why he hadn't come to see her to watch her reaction.

It was only after she got within two feet of the living room that she realized that the floor felt odd under her feet. She looked down to see that it was coated in pink and red rose petal and lined with single white roses placed along the edge of the walls, setting her a beautiful silken path to their living room. With barely any air in her lungs, she stepped into the warm golden light of the living room, heart stopping as the sight was laid out before her.

Garlands of wildflowers looped around the edges of the walls at the ceilings. Vanilla-scented candles of all sizes were set upon every available surface, vases similar to the one in the kitchen placed in the middle of each cluster of candles. The trail of red and pink rose petals led to Woody, sitting casually upon the couch, arms resting on his knees, a warm, content expression on his face. Candle light flickered off the walls and his face, casting a warm glow upon the beautifully decorated little room.

For a moment, Jordan felt as though she couldn't breathe, breath hitching in her throat as she realized what exactly was going on at that moment. For an instant the possibility of flight flickered through the wild mustang part of her mind that was left. And then she looked at the beautifully handsome man before her, the trust in his warm blue eyes, the love, and everything clarified in an instant. The light gave depth and definition to every line, shadow and scar on his face, catching the slight shadow of hair on his cheeks and jaw line which Jordan had insisted was rugged and manly and sexy as hell. Jordan paused for a moment, not letting her gaze falter from his, taking a deep, shuddering breath. So this was it? Wow.

"C'mere," Woody, beckoned her, getting to his feet, fighting off the flinch as he put too much weight on his shoulder.

"Careful," Jordan advised, carefully walking down his intricately laid path to his side, knowing that to try to help would hurt his pride. He smiled at her. "Woody, this is beautiful… how did you ever affo-…"

"Shh," He covered her lips with a finger, replacing it with his lips for a quick kiss. "I pulled some strings. I figured it was worth it. _You_ are worth it."

"But how did you do all this on your own?" She gave him a Look. "You know what the doctors said about taking this easy."

"Would you relax, huh? I had some help." Woody smiled at her concern, taking her hand and tugging her in front of the little glass table by the couch.

"Alright, fine, but I'm So not cleaning this up later." She grinned at him slyly, and he rolled his eyes at her.

"I've got a friend coming tomorrow to clean it up. So there. Ha!" He replied. "_Now_ who's thought of everything, huh?" He stuck the tip of his tongue out at her. "Now shut up, whiney, and let me talk, kay?" She nodded, once again unable to breathe properly.

"Alright, here it goes," he exhaled slowly. He'd been over and over this speech a hundred thousand times in his head before now, but now that it was time to say it, everything disappeared from his memory. "Jord, you and I have spent a hell of a lot of time dancing around a relationship, falling in and pulling away. We've saved each other time and time again and I think we've _finally_ reached a place in our lives where we're not quite so frenzied and uncontrolled and wild. Not that I don't love the parts of that you and I both have left, but hey, whatever. People get older. And we've done a lot of emotional and…more physical…growing together. We fought this attraction thing for so long, and we've finally found each other and are standing on some level ground with all of this. Are you getting me so far?" All she could do was nod. "Look, I know we suck, especially you, such at this 'let's express our feelings and talk about it' thing, so I'm gonna cut to the chase. I love you. And I want you to marry me so I can finally stop worrying if you're gonna book-it on my sorry ass and being jealous every time someone talks to you. I want you to be mine and me to be yours forever. Marry me, babe. I think we can go the distance."

Jordan took a deep breath, eyes flickering around the room at the roses, the petals, the garlands of flowers, the candles, the candle and flower lined path. Then she looked up into his eyes and everything clarified again, like someone had drawn back the blinds. She inhaled again and nodded. "Okay," she agreed breathlessly.

"Yes?" he exclaimed, nearly jumping with excitement. She nodded.

"Absolutely, yes." She confirmed. He gathered her into his strong arms and hugged her tightly, kissing her deep and long before pulling back and twisting his head to the bedroom door behind him.

"Hey guys, she said yes!!" he shouted and all of their friends came pouring out of the room to congratulate them, and the party that followed that night was one that none of them would ever forget.

THEEEE ENNNDDD!!!!!!!!!!

R/R PLEEEAAAASSSSEEE!!!!!!!!


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